Leonardo da Vinci

If you visit the Louvre Museum in Paris, you'll likely see a mob of tourists congregating around a single enigmatic portrait by Leonardo da Vinci while ignoring all the masterpieces nearby. With eyes that seem to follow you around the gallery, and lips curled mysteriously in the faintest of smiles, the "Mona Lisa" is not just a seductive painting; it is famous for being famous. One of the world's most recognizable images, this somberly clad woman posed against an ethereal landscape has obsessed monarchs, inspired copyists and satirists, and survived a heist. It was the subject of an Academy Award-winning pop song ("Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?")...

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